The Dragon's Coveted Wife

ng down from the clouds. It swooped around, its talons brushing the treetop

rough the thick forest. With a roar, the dragon dove, its claws outstretched toward the figure. Branches slapped

ng beneath its weight. It lifted its head and sniffed the air deeply, a few tendrils of smoke trickling from its nostrils. The scent had disappeared

st floor, scattering leaves and other forest debris. The ground rumbled underneath the impact. The creature

saw a large gash through one of them. It bellowed in pain and anger. The sound of branches breaking underfoot drew its attention from th

s and put them in the pouch at her waist. Standing, she stretched her back. She had been gathering sinc

e the engagement was finalized. Saffron found him incredibly tiresome and she hated the way he leered at her. She was thankful that she w

tops of the vibrant wildflowers that grew in the meadow. She could see the lights of the village beginning to

erneath her hand. She considered running but whatever it was sounded as if it were in great pain. Her heal

ad been traipsing over these hills and through these trees since she was a child. However, the kee

blood. She touched it with the tip of her finger. It was less than an hour old. The cry seemed

. The keening had dropped into a mournful lowing. She looked around, the grass outside of the cav

took a few more steps in. There were now pools of blood glittering in the fading sunlight. Leaning clos

e snuffling, wet breathing continued but she heard nothing else. Pulling her fl

ht ball. A large pool of blood lay under the creature, more seeping from it with each torturous breath. She

jured. But she was compelled forward. She walked a wide berth around the body, ready to flee i

suspiciously and didn't move. "Please," she pleaded. She stabbed her torch into the ground and appealed to th

ed something hot and metallic. A low growl rumbled from deep within the creature's body, but it stopped abruptly with a

he stepped forward. She had never seen a dragon in the flesh before, but she had studied its anatomy from her grandmother's books. The heat that rolled o

h a cannon. The edges were blackened. Saffron delicately rubbed a

sed but let her continue. "Now, I'm going to put a poultice on here. It will help numb the area and help with the pain," she

t it held still. Its eyes were squeezed shut as she pushed the needle through its tough hide. The large body tremble

her hands from her water jug. The dragon's eyes were closed and it's breathing had evened out. It m

even her books described. It dwarfed the cavern they were in however, it wasn't so large as to blot out the sky while it flew. She

and watched as the scales seemed to melt, revealing tanned, muscular skin. She crept closer; her breath c